


nightmares

by kurooos



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, M/M, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Post Season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-23 22:41:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14942732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurooos/pseuds/kurooos
Summary: Keith dreams about the battle he had with Shiro, reliving it all over again.Shiro is the only one who can calm him back down.





	nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this while rewatching The Scene (TM)  
> :)

Shiro stood in front of him, eyes lost, dark, evil. Recognizing Keith in a way that unsettled him. This clone- _Shiro_ , knew him; in a way, all of the clones surrounding them in the room knew him. Shiro was the only person Keith could really trust, the only person he told everything to.

And now he was against him, trying to kill him.

Shiro charged again, arm glowing bright, sword ready to land a fatal strike, a snarl on his face and a sadistic fire in his eyes. Shiro actually wanted to kill him.

All he could think was please. _Please_. Every time their swords came together, every dodged and parried blow and kick and punch. _Please, stop. Don’t make me do this. Don’t do this. Stop. Stop. Please._

A well placed blow had Keith stumbling, falling almost to his death before he could catch himself. Keith found himself on his back, sword placed between himself and Shiro, muscles screaming for him to stop. His body ached, hurt from his battering and constant strife.

“ _Please,_ ” his pleas in his head come out, desperate and strained, “you’re my _brother_ ,” anything to get Shiro back.

“ _I love you_ ”

There are tears behind his eyes threatening to spill. The ache in his chest grows tighter when he sees that Shiro’s eyes widen and he knows that Shiro hears him.

And then whatever has its grip on Shiro tightens and the recognition fades away.

“Just let go, Keith,” Shiro says, _snarls_ , and presses into him harder, taunting him with the death of the team. The heat energy of Shiro’s blade gets closer, uncomfortable until it turns into pain, slow enough Keith can feel the skin of his cheek burning almost in slow motion.

He screams, it’s all he can do to not break down into tears, and pushes with everything he has to get Shiro off him.

But Shiro doesn’t move, presses down on his shoulders harder and Keith screams again, now struggling with everything he has.

“Keith!”

He swings at Shiro again and again, grappling with him. Their swords have gone away, tossed to the side so Shiro could take the final blow himself. It hurts more but Keith has made his peace.

“Keith, _please_!” Shiro shouts at him now, no longer angry and hateful. He sounds panicked and scared.

“Open your eyes! Keith, open your eyes!”

Like the fool he is, Keith listens. He opens his eyes to probably see his final seconds of life staring up at Shiro. Honestly, he couldn’t think of a better way. Anything less fitting.

But he doesn’t meet the glowing and furious eyes of a killer.

Deep brown eyes are staring down at him, dark with shadows from the dimly lit room. Shiro- Shiro’s hair is white and- and Shiro is holding him down by the wrists, sitting on his legs. Shiro only has a grip on one of his wrists.

In Keith’s frantic search he finds that Shiro’s right arm is missing. Left by a knotted tie of sweater fabric that cannot be filled. That’s right. He had sliced Shiro’s galra arm clean off.

Keith gasps for air. The world comes back into focus around him. He’s not in space surrounded by clones of Shiro. He’s not about to be killed. He’s not begging for his life, begging for _Shiro’s_ life. Because he knows, he knows that he’ll have to kill Shiro. He knows he wouldn't ever be able to do that.

When he stops squirming Shiro hesitates to let go. They stare at each other while Keith gasps in air and sobs. When Shiro does finally release Keith, his hand goes to Keith’s face, yanking him up to sit.  He slips off Keith and sits next to him, awkwardly trying to yank Keith into his side and against his chest with one arm.

Keith feels the last of his resolve crumble. His arms clutch Shiro to himself as tight as he can hold. His muscles are shaking with adrenaline. His heart is beating so fast he’s worried it might just stop. And the goddamn tears won’t stop.

“I’m here,” Shiro whispers into his hair, rocking them gently, repeating himself over and over again, “I’m right here. You’re okay. You’re safe.”

Keith can barely make out between his sobs something to say other than stuttered whimpers of “I’m so sorry-”

They both seem like broken records. Going around and around on the same tune, the same note. Keith has to keep opening his eyes and blinking away tears to check and make sure this is real.

Shiro’s hair is stark white, his eyes don’t glow, and his voice isn’t abrasive and snarling, he’s not in his paladin armor. He’s fine. Shiro’s fine. Shiro’s okay.

Keith hiccups and tries to find Shiro’s lips. The kiss is as sad as he feels. The sorrow and ache that beats along with his heart.

He’s sorry Shiro got into this, sorry that he ever let the Galra get their hands on Shiro, sorry that they had to fight.

Shiro kisses him this time, tells him to be quiet and shhes him between lips brushing past each other.

Shakily, Keith pries himself away from Shiro and looks over him. There are red marks on Shiro’s arm and his face. Keith wordlessly touches a mark and Shiro’s eyebrows come together. He looks at Keith with a sad, distance look in his eyes as he kisses at the burn on Keith’s cheek.

“Guess we’re even, huh? Got me back.”

Keith almost flinches. It feels like being burned all over again. His voice cracks as he says, “ _don’t._ ”

You didn’t do it. You didn’t mean it. It wasn’t _you._ Keith can’t make himself say anymore.

Shiro presses their foreheads together. His eyes close and Keith can’t bear to ever look away.

“You’re pretty lethal with one hand free.” Shiro tries to joke. Again it hurts him. Keith feels the guilt sink in for attacking Shiro over a stupid dream.

“I’m so-” Shiro’s hand comes over his mouth and when their eyes meet, Keith is almost scared of the angry look in Shiro’s eyes.

“Stop apologizing. Please, stop apologizing. Let’s just go back to bed. We can talk in the morning okay?”

A whine comes from the foot of the bed and he feels the bed dip under big paws. Soft weight settles across both of their feet. Keith looks down to see soft grey and blue fur curl up and get settled to go to sleep again.

“See. He agrees. Let’s get some sleep.” Shiro urges, softly tugging Keith into his chest as they settle back into bed.

Keith doesn’t sleep. He’s too wound up for that. But he does listen to Shiro fall asleep with his head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Every strong and relaxed beat reminding Keith that Shiro is alive and breathing and here in his arms.

Everything would be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> SO HOW ABOUT THAT SEASON 6 HUH!?!?!??!?!?


End file.
